Measurable IEP Goals

Federal law, IDEA 2004: Sec. 300.320 Under Definition of
Individualized Education Program:, requires that the
IEP include:(2)(i) A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional
goals
designed to--
(A) Meet the child's needs that result from the child's disability to
enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general
education curriculum; and
(B) Meet each of the child's other educational needs that result from
the child's disability; (ii)
For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned
to alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or
short-term objectives;(3) A description of-- (i) How
the child's progress toward meeting the annual goals
described in paragraph (2) of this section will be measured; and (ii)
When periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward
meeting the annual goals.
(In Mass. our special education state law requires written
progress reports to be submitted to
parents at least as often as report cards or progress reports for
students without disabilities. 28.07(3) ).

(IDEA 97: Sec. 300.347(a)(2) Under Content of IEP:
"A statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks of
short-term objectives."
Also, there is a strong emphasis in Part B that the goals of the IEP
will be attached to the general curriculum.)

"IEP 4 (page 17) - Teams must
connect current performance to measurable annual
goals. The IEP should be written with a direct connection between
the current
performance levels and the measurable annual
goals."

"IEP 4
(page 18) - Goals must be measurable and must specify the expected knowledge,
skill, behavior or attitude to be achieved within the IEP period, typically one
school year."

If Kevin's progress toward this goal is measured subjectively,
his
IEP may state that Kevin’s progress toward learning keyboarding or
typing will be determined by "Teacher Judgment" or "Teacher
Observation"
or"Teacher - made Tests" with a score of "80%" as the criteria for
success.

If the IEP is written properly, measuring progress objectively,
the
IEP may say "By the end of the first semester, Kevin will touch-type
a passage of text 15 words per minute with not more than 5 errors
on a 5minute test. By the end of this academic year, Kevin will touch
type a passage of text for 5 minutes at 35 words per minute with not
more
than 5 errors."

Sample 2:
Megan and Reading

Let's look at Megan who is having trouble learning to read. Megan
is in the fifth grade. According to educational achievement
tests,
her reading decoding skills are at the beginning second grade level.
Megan's parents request special education services to remediated their
daughter's
reading problems. How will her parents know if Megan is benefiting
from the special education program?

If Megan is being appropriately educated, her test scores in
reading will begin to improve as she goes through the process of
remediation.
An appropriately written IEP should indicate that after a year of
remediation, Megan will make progress toward closing the gap between
her ability and her problems in reading, and that her educational
progress will be measured objectively with educational achievement
tests.

The IEP may state that after a year of specialized instruction
"Megan will be reading at the 4th grade level as measured by her scores
on the Reading subtests of the Woodcock Johnson Achievement Test."
During
thenext year, Megan's IEP should include more goals in reading - with
the ultimate goal of closing the gap between Megan's ability and her
reading skills.

Parents can use percentile ranks in the IEPs, instead of grade
equivalent scores. Let's assume that Megan's reading test
scores show that she is reading at the bottom 10th percentile, when
compared
to other children her age. After a year of appropriate special
education, Megan probably will not be reading at the 50th percentile
level
(i.e.the "average" level for children her age). An
objective may state
that after a year of special education, "Megan will be reading at the
25th percentile level" If Megan moves to the 25th percentile level in
reading, she be making progress toward closing the gap.

Although Megan's reading skills are still below average, you see
that she is making steady progress. Megan's progress in reading is
being measured objectively with standardized tests. Her progress
is reported with numbers that can be compared over time.

My child is reading a passage of text orally at the XYZ percent
level
as measured by the GORT.

These examples apply to all disabilities—learning disabilities,
autism, speech language deficits, mental
retardation, cerebral palsy. You
need to know specifically where the child's deficits are, what skills
aredeficient, what behavior needs to be changed.

The starting point should be observable and measurable percentile
ranks, grade equivalents, age equivalents or standard scores. Where
should
this skill be in one year later?

Use objective measurable terms, not subjective terms.

Write down a goal that your child should achieve after one year
of
an appropriate special education.
(Special education should be designed
to remediated the child's weaknesses.)

Sample 3:

By May 15, [one year later], my child will be able to read a
passage
of text orally at the XYZ [insert the appropriate increased level here]
grade equivalent level as measured by the GORT.

or

By May 15, [one year later], my child will be able to read a
passage
of text orally at the XYZ [insert the appropriate increased level here]
percent level as measured by the GORT.

Now, you have an objective measurable starting point and ending
point, using norm referenced data. How do you get from Point A to Point
B?

Your map from Point A to Point B includes short term objectives
and/or benchmarks. To learn more about
appropriate goals, objectives and benchmarks, you need to read
publications about your child's specific
disability. As you become more knowledgeable, you'll learn how to
write objectives and benchmarks that lead to the annual goal.

Your Child's IEP Should Measure Learning - Objectively

Learning is change. Changes in academic skills can be measured
objectively. Your child's test scores are like a series of
photographs - they show that the child is learning and acquiring new
skills or knowledge.

Remember: Change can and should be measured objectively - whether
the
area being measured is physical fitness, or educational
progress.

Goal component
checklist

The goals should
be what we expect of regular students. The IEP goals explains how
your
child gets from "here" to "there".
Reed Martin, tells that a goal should have 5 components:

1. The direction we want to go
(increase or decrease)
2. the problem we are addressing
3. the present level
4. the amount of change, by the end of this IEP year
5. the methodology needed

To bring in Wrightslaw information and state and federal regulations,
we are
going to add a 6th components.

6. Measured by (standardized test)

Reed's
Martin example
Johnny will:
(1) increase
(2) in-seat on-task behavior
(3) from 0% of the time currently to
(4) 50% of the time by the end of this year
(5) by training the teacher in positive behavior interventions that
give reinforcement to in-seat, on task behavior
and do not unintentionally reinforce Johnny by giving attention to out
of seat behavior.
Another Reed's example:Susie will:
(1) increase
(2) self-control
(3) from overreacting emotionally to stimuli that are normal in the
classroom
(4) to the ability to function with limited supervision in classroom
settings
(5) through individual counseling and reinforcement of positive
behaviors in the classroom

The IEP would then specify the short term objectives in terms of the
task or performance expected conditions under which the performance is
expected the standard by which it will be measured, how the performance
will be documented and how the results will be reported to the
parents.

Lets label the
components of Megan Reading goal, that was used in the example
Wrightslaw in
their article:

(4b) By May 15, [one year later],
(1) my child will be able to, or Megan will increase her
(2) passage reading of text orally
(3) from UV percent level currently [insert the appropriate Present
Level Of Performance
(PLOP) here]
(4a) to the XYZ percent level [insert the appropriate increased level
here]
(5) using the ABC program [insert the appropriate program here] (information
on methodology, click here).
(6) as measured by the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT), (information
on standardized tests, click here).

"IEP 4 (page 18) - Most IEP's should include
only three to four direction-setting goals. However,the Team is
responsible for making the final determination of the number and types of
goals thatare included in the IEP. Remember, though, an IEP is
not a daily, weekly or monthly lesson planbut rather is a guide that
supports the development of these other
plans."

"A statement of measurable
annual goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, related to(i)
meeting the child's needs that result from the child's disability to enable
the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum ...;
and(ii) meeting each of the child's other educational needs that result from
the child's disability....".